Belt and rotary brushes for shoe cleaning



March 1, 1949.

E. F. CONKLIN BELT AND ROTARY BRUSHES FOR SHOE CLEANING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1946 V Inventor Elba-l E 6 012111):

March 1, 1949. E, CONKLIN I 2,463,153

BELT AND ROTARY BRUSHES FOR SHOE- CLEANING Filed Feb. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 El 7 IE 18 MI I11 ueutor .Zlerlll ozzkljn Patented Mar. 1, 1949 BELT AND ROTARY BBUSHES'FOR slice CLEANING ElbertF. Conklin, Bridgeport, Wash. Application February 13, 1946,"S rialNoIG f'CZS'Z 2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvementsand structural refinements in shoe cleaning devices, more particularly, to a device whereby'mud dirt, dust and the like, may be quickly and conveniently removed from the sole,

'h'eeL'the sides and from the shank of the shoe, this operation-being performed either when the shoe is being "worn'or when it is removed from the foot of the user.

-furth'erobject of the invention is to provide a shoe cleaning device in which meansis provided for preventing undesirable dissipation of such dirt, etc.,..while the shoe isbeing cleaned, by collecting the same in a suitable dust receptaclefrom which it may be subsequently emptied.

Another objectzof theqi'nvention is to provide a cleaning device to which the shoe may be readily and comfortably applied and which is actuated by means of an electric motor provided therein.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device which is of simple con ,struction and which cannot easily become damaged.

'.With? the above more important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent ,asthis specification proceeds, the invention con- 'si'sts essentially of the arrangement and con struction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

. Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, partially broken away to reveal its construction;

FigureB- is a side elevation of the same, also partially broken away, and

Figured is a cross-sectional view, taken in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a box-like housing designated by the general reference numeral [0, the same being provided on the longitudinal sides thereof with the inner and outer side walls II and [2 respectively.

The upper end of the housing is formed with an opening l3, and a pair of end rollers M are positioned on the shafts I5, the latter in turn being rotatably journalled in the sides ll adjacent to the opening I3.

An endless belt l6 passes around the rollers 14 and is provided on the outer surface thereof with the bristles" 11, thus constituting amovable brush designated generallyby-the reference; char-'- acter f8. A 'portion' of this brush is expo ed through the opening-l3 and defines a. shoe'receiving platform on-which the shoe 19 maybe positioned, as is best-illustrated i n;the accom 'panying Figure 3.

This platform is reinforced on the" underside thereof with a plur'alityflf supporting rollers ,20, the same being rotatably positioned on suitable shafts on'pins'2l 'extending'throughthehousing sides I l The upper end of the housing'l'll is also-formed with an aligned pair of hollow'bearingblocks 22, in the inner surfaces of which is journa'lled a shaft '23. Thedatter-carries a roller-"24 provided on ,theperipherythereof with the bristles 25, the same constitutinga rotatable brush des ignated by the general reference character :26. It will be noted that the bristles. of this I fo'llel" or brush are in contact with the bristles I! Q'ftthe brush [8.

The upper end of the housing is alsdprovided with a dust pick-up' scoop 2 1 extending tra'nsversely across one end of the" opening 'IS the purpose of the scoop being hereinafterlmorefully set forth.

A partition" 28 is provided to. form a dustcdllecting chamber 29 in the lower,poijtion rltne housing l0, and a removab'le,idrawer-Iil{e pjaii or receptacle 30 is positioned in this chamber, as will be clearly apparentfrom; the accompanying drawings. The. outer end of the pan is provided with. a suitable pull-knobtl, and a pair ofrarigle brackets secured ,to the sidewalls ll, prevent the drawer, fr'ornbeing pushed, too far1into the housing 10. The inner end of the pan .30 is formed with an opening}; and adeflectcr piate 34, secured to theHendW'G LII J E of th'liousing, is angulated substantially as shown and extends into the pan 30 through the opening 33, .as is best illustrated in Figure 3.

A suitable casing 36, containing an electric motor 31, is secured to one of the side walls I2 by means of the bolts 38, the motor being provided with a current conductor 39 and on the armature thereof, with an extension shaft 40. The latter carries an exhaust fan designated generally by the reference numeral 4I, the same consisting of a plurality of elongated, transversely arcuated blades 42, secured by their longitudinal edges to the shaft '40 and extending radially therefrom.

The shaft 40 also carries a grooved pulley 43 which is connected by means of an endless belt or cord 44 to a further pulley 45 positioned on one of the aforementioned shafts IS. The latter carries an additional pulley 46 connected by the belt 46' to a pulley 41, this being positioned on a shaft 48 journalled in the side walls H. The shaft 48 in turn carries a further pulley 59, connected by the belt 55 to a pulley 5| on the shaft 23 of the aforementioned rotatable brush 25. It will be apparent that in thi manner, rotation of the motor 31 will result in concurrent rotation of the fan 41, the roller brush 26 and one of the rollers It, the latter in turn, imparting movement to the movable brush l8. Rotation of the motor 31 is such that the brush 3 moves in the direction of the arrow 52.

Having thus described the constructional details of the invention, its method of operation will now be presented.

When the invention is placed in use, the shoe l9 (while worn or removed from the foot) is placed on the platform constituted by the portion of the movable brush l8 exposed through the opening 13, as is illustrated in the accompanying Figure 3.

The rotation of the motor 31 will move the brush [8 as has been already described, so that dust, dirt, mud and the like Will be removed from the sole and the heel of the shoe. By turning the shoe over from side to side, the sides thereof may be cleaned in this same manner.

The rotating brush 25 may effectively be used to clean the upraised shank of the shoe, and it will be noted that the supporting rollers 20 will.

reinforce the brush it to a suflicient extent, so that the shoe may be brought firmly in contact with the brush.

The dirt, etc, removed by cleaning will be deposited on the brush 18, including the dirt removed by the brush 26. In effect, the latter will be continually cleaned by the contacting bristles I1 and 25, and the dirt accumulated on the brush I8 will be carried toward the scoop 21.

Concurrent with the brushing action, the rotating fan M will create a partial vacuum in the vicinity of the scoop, so that the dirt, dust, and the like, will be drawn therein and over the deilector 34 into the dust pan 35. The latter may be periodically cleaned by simply withdrawing the same from the housing l0, as indicated by the phantom lines 53.

If desired, the end of the portion 28 may be upturned as at 54, to contact the bristles ll,

thereby scraping, so to speak, any dirt such as may still remain on the brush H3 at that stage. While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention isi 1. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a substantially horizontal endless belt brush, a rotary cylindrical brush mounted in an exposed position along the upper run of said belt brush and engaging the upper surface thereof, said cylindrical brush having a diameter substantially equal to the height of the heel of a shoe to be cleaned, and means for rotating said cylindrical brush and driving said belt brush at relatively different surface speeds whereby both the front vertical surface of the heel and the under surface of the arch of the shoe are cleaned by said cylindrical brush, the bottom of the sole and heel are cleaned by the belt brush, and said cylindrical brush and said belt brush mutually clean each other.

2. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a substantially horizontal endless belt brush, a rotary cylindrical brush mounted in an exposed position alon the upper run of said belt brush and engaging the upperv surface thereof, said cylindrical brush having a diameter substantially equal to the height of the heel of a shoe to be cleaned, and means forrotating said cylindrical brush and driving said belt brush at relatively different surface speeds and in relatively opposite directions at their point of contact whereby both the front vertical surface of the heel and the under surface of the arch of the shoe are cleaned by said cylindrical brush, the bottom of the sole and heel are cleaned by the belt brush, and said cylindrical brush and said belt brush mutually clean each other.

ELBERT F. CONKLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 20,359 McKeachnie May 25, 1858 823,972 Richardson June 19, 1906 1,007,666 Baldwin, Sr Nov. 7, 1911 1,019,769 Dalton Mar. 12, 1912 1,332,429 Czechowicz Mar. 2, 1920 1,359,193 Parker Nov. 16, 1920 1,506,696 Walser Aug. 26, 1924 1,567,832 Broge Dec. 29, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 123,651 1 Germany Sept. 11,1911 178,413 Germany Nov. 16, 1906 622,343 France May 28, 1927 693,795 France Sept. 2, 1930 

